Since there's no shortage of good, name-brand cases for the Nexus 7, it's generally not a bad idea to be wary of the cheapies. But after getting a heads up from Bob Severns (the guy who presses the buttons on our podcast), I decided to give a pair of $4 Nanum cases a go. Having never heard of "Nanum" before, I was skeptical of how good this extremely affordable duo would be. But much to my surprise, both of these cases are pretty great.

I ordered both the Multi-Angle Stand case and Ultra Slim Fit case, and while there are a few different colors available, I decided to get both in white. Because I just like white. The seller, Mercury USA, fulfilled the order within a day, and I had the pair within a week or so.

Right out of the box, I was rather impressed with each, as they both seem to be well-made, fit the N7 quite well, and feature a magnet in the cover that toggles the display appropriately when opening/closing. The latter is a feature that many of the other cases I've tried – even ones costing ten times as much – are missing, so I was both shocked and pleased to find it built-in to this ultra-affordable pair.

Slim Fit case

I ordered these expecting the Multi-Angle case to be my preference, but I've actually become quite fond of the Ultra Slim, mostly because it lives up to its name. The outside is covered in a nice cloth-like material, and the inside has a soft felt lining. It definitely doesn't feel like a $4 case, that's for sure. On the back there's a slot for a stylus (each case comes with a free stylus, too – but it's nothing to write home about), as well as a hole for whatever reason. All the ports and buttons have cutouts, too. Like so many other cases, the front can be folded around the back and tucked into a slot, effectively creating a stand. Unlike most other cases [that I've tried], this one actually works.

Multi-Angle Case

And then there's the Multi-Angle case. While the inside has the same soft felt inner lining as the Ultra Slim, the outside is covered in a pretty decent looking faux leather of sorts. Unlike it's skinnier brother, the MA case has a "latch" that closes the cover across the Nexus 7, keeping it from accidentally coming open if tossed in a bag. As its name suggests, the Multi-Angle case offers a few different viewing angles for the N7. This works by popping the N7 out of the position on the leftmost side of the case, and propping it into the (rather deep) grooves. It's held in place very, very well, and doesn't really move when being tapped. The design is really great.

Included Stylus

Overall, I'm happy with both cases, especially for the price. Each case costs only $4 (with $3 shipping), so I paid just under $14 to get them both shipped to my door. If you're looking for an affordable, effective way to protect your N7, as well as add some nice functionality, I encourage you to check out these Nanum cases. Each one is easily worth the money, and then some.